water

Story·Eva Rodrigues, age 13 — At a dreaded family cottage, a teenage astronomy enthusiast meets an eccentric boy in mismatched clothes on a rock under the blue moon, finding unexpected connection.

Poetry·Bethany Rayfield, age 12 — A young writer observes the creek behind her house, cataloging its life—fish, flowers, frogs—and recognizes it as her private world of peace.

Story·Danielle Eagle, age 13 — A girl befriends a mysterious beach companion with shimmering hair and strange abilities, discovering her true nature when caught in a dangerous current.

Poetry·Ava Persinger, age 12 — A young observer discovers the ocean's hidden music — from crashing waves to a tiny crab's clicking claws to shells clinking in the depths.

Story·Felicia McSweeney, age 11 — A girl is swept out to sea at night, sinks to the ocean floor watching bubbles rise from her laughing mouth, then returns to shore with the tide.

Story·Kerri Prinos, age 13 — A girl on a manatee tour in Crystal River struggles with the ethics of wildlife tourism, choosing not to alert her group when she encounters a manatee alone.

Story·Madison Henson, age 13 — A daredevil teen jumps into a forbidden lake and is transported to a medieval world where she must save a rebel fighter from a tyrant by pulling the villain back...

Story·Sophia Catalan, age 11 — A girl races into the ocean on a hot day, gets tumbled by a surprise second wave, and makes her friend laugh with silly antics on the beach.

Poetry·Isaac Walsh, age 10 — A six-year-old loses his orange Croc over the Stone Arch Bridge and imagines it floating down the Mississippi to Louisiana, carrying its mystery.

Story·Josiah Ney, age 13 — A boy stands at the edge of a cliff, gathering courage to jump into the river below, then leaps and experiences the exhilarating plunge into cool water.